Flying on Cloud Nine
by BrokenByMagic
Summary: Piper McCloud has great friends, none of which are your average ones. When she receives a letter from one such friend who she may or may not like more than your average friend and she has to teach dragonfly to fly, what happens?
1. The Beginning

Piper woke with a huge yawn and some major stretches.

She groaned as the light flooded in through her window and she curse the Mustafa brothers for not being there to let her sleep in. She grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it, blocking out the sun.

"Piper! Its your turn to make dinner, I have to head to town to pick up a few things." Piper sighed at her mother's voice coming from the doorway, "Five more minutes ma…"

Betty McCloud laughed softly at her daughter, now nineteen and getting bigger. She had left for college the summer before with the encouragement of her friends and had come to stay at home for summer break.

It was nice to have her daughter back again..

"Oh and by the way Piper, Conrad sent ya a letter today." Piper was up in no time at all, rushing to the kichen and grabbing the letter.

Again Betty laughed quietly to herself, "See you in a bit darling. Ill be back in bout an hour."

Piper smiled and hugged her mom, "Bye Ma, have fun."

Piper waited for her mother to close the door begore she sat and began to read the letter. Reading was still harder for her than for most people her age having not really bothered learning to read until after the I.N.S.A.N.E. incedent.

Piper McCloud,

Ive made it to London just fine, and no you cannot fly here, you will drop into the ocean before you could ever get here. Its wet here, cant say I like that but oh well, ive learned to eccept the simple things in life.

How are things back home? I hope you've forgiven me now for making you enter college but you needed it. Anyways, I don't know why they don't send it to you guys but I received word from Myrtle that she needs you at the facility.

Not sure why so don't ask, though im guessing it has something to do with a Giant Dragonfly forgetting how to fly or something of the like.

Things are going great here, the conference is, as always, in our favor, I never pick a losing case after all. Senator Harrington contacted me, that went… interestingly. He's pulling at strings to stay in office, its just pathetic.

Anyways, I should be home sometime between next week (My next week, your tomorrow) or your next week. Sorry for the short notice.

Conrad

Piper smiled and set the letter onto the counter picked up the phone and dialed Myrtles express number as she gathered ingrediants for dinner.

Almost immediately Myrtle answered, "Hey Piper whats up, when can you get here and hey do you know when Conrad's getting back?"

Piper laiuhged at her friends rapid fire questioning, "Im fine, Ill have ta tell my ma before I leave but I can probably get there by tomorrow if I leave right now and I just gor Conrad's letter saying hell be back tomorrow or next week, why?"

Myrtle laughed, Just wondering, Lily wanted to know if it was statistically possible for aliens to exist."

Piper laughed again, "Aliens? Well I don't know.. I don't see why there couldn't possibly be any cuz, I mean, theres us aren't there?"

Mrtle laughed again, "So hey Pipe, are you coming tomorrow, this bug is so sad looking. Jaspers taken a look at it and says it just needs something to make it want to fly again. So Daisy and I thougt of you."

Piper frowned and looked at the calendar, "I don't know… I think ma and pa were kinda just wantin some time with me here for a little bit… I might be able ta convince them ta let yall bring it here if ya want…"

There was a moment of quiet conversing on the other line before Myrtle agreed and they set up a possible for if Pipers parents agreed to let a giant flightless dragonfly at their home.

Sure enough, when Betty and Joe came home and found Piper with her taletell innocent look on her face and delicious meal prepared for them they knew she wanted something and they gave in before it even began.

If she wanted her admittedly strange friends over, who were they to say no?

That night Piper found herself where she had many times since she was nine, on the rooftop looking up at the stars.

She was dreaming about the last time she had seen her friends just last year when they had had their yearly gathering. On a less happier note she was also remembering when she had shared that star-filled skyten years ago now.

She gave little smile and began to sing a song her friend Vioelt had recommended to her, telling her it rememinded her of Piper.

If I could fly, I'd be coming right back home to you  
I think I might give up everything, just ask me to

Pay attention, I hope that you listen cause I let my guard down  
Right now I'm completely defenseless

For your eyes only, I show you my heart  
For when you're lonely and forget who you are  
I'm missing half of me when we're apart  
Now you know me, for your eyes only  
For your eyes only

I've got scars, even though they can't always be seen  
And pain gets hard, but now you're here and I don't feel a thing

Pay attention, I hope that you listen cause I let my guard down  
Right now I'm completely defenseless

For your eyes only, I show you my heart  
For when you're lonely and forget who you are  
I'm missing half of me when we're apart  
Now you know me, for your eyes only  
For your eyes only

I can feel your heart inside of mine  
I've been going out of my mind  
Know that I'm just wasting time  
And I

Hope that you don't run from me

For your eyes only, I show you my heart

For when you're lonely and forget who you are  
I'm missing half of me when we're apart  
Now you know me, for your eyes only

For your eyes only, I show you my heart  
For when you're lonely and forget who you are  
I'm missing half of me when we're apart  
Now you know me, for your eyes only  
For your eyes only  
For your eyes only

She stood and with a smile she lifted up into the sky and began to fly in gentle circles around her house, imagining what it would be like to share the sky with someone again.

"Piper, ya got someone here for ya!" Piper sighed and landed on the dirt behind the house and walked in through the back door.

She made her way into the living room and she soon found hrself staring at no one other than Conrad himself.

"Hey there Piper." He looked happy and somewhat nervous as he always was after not seeing Piper for a while.

While a little screech Piper literally flew across the room and into his arms with such force that it sent them into a spinning hug, "You said you wouldn't be back until tomorrow!"

Conrad pulled back just enough to grin down at her beaming face and shimmering, excited eyes, "I decided to test my predicted timing, I wanted to hurry and get home."

Piper hugged him tightly again and then pulled away, "Mrytle and Daisy are coming tomorrow with the dragonfly."

He smiled, something he only did when he was either with or thinking of the McClouds, "That's great! I should probably get to Daisy- proofinf my room then."

Piper laughed, "Im so glad your home Conrad, I missed you."

Betty scoffed, "You should've seen her ths mornin Conrad, wouldn't get up till I told her you had sent her a letter."

Conrad's smile stretched into a grin as he listened. Knowing he was in for a whole speil of ehat he had missed out on while he was gone, big and small, he sat on the couch in the living room as Piper began doing just that.


	2. The dragonfly

When Piper had finally talked herself to sleep (literally, how she did it not even he had a clue.) Conrad just sat still for a while, talking to her parents as she curled into him in her sleep.

They filled him in on everything Piper had forgotten or hadn't gone too far into detail on or that Piper didn't know.

When the two other McClouds began to yawn and grow tired of talking they pardoned themselves to go to bed, leaving Conrad with Piper.

He pulled out a book from hi bag, careful not to wake Piper and began to read, he had read it a few times but it was one of his favorites either way.

Before he knew it, it was three in the morning and his eyes were beginning to droop and he had caught himself playing with her hair as she curled into him.

He chuckled quietly and tiredly as she mumbled something in her sleep. He picked her up, as gently as she could and carried her into her room where she prompty grabbed his arm and curled around it like a teddy bear, rendering himm unable tto leave.

Eventually, after exhausting all solutions that didn't involve waking her up but one he layed down beside her in the most comfortable position he could.

He had never had so much trouble falling asleep except for that one time… But that didn't count.

He wasn't an idiot unfortunately. Something he had never thought he would ever be regretful for, but he knew he felt something for this girl.

The next thing he knew was a series of snickers and murmerings from voices he recognized all too well and so without bothering to open his eyes of lift his voice, "I swear, If you wake her up I will make your lives miserable…"

He was in no hurry to wake up and he knew Piper was tired, too tired, he hoped, to wake up with him spooning her as he was. But it was warm and she was sleeping and he had missed her…

Daisy giggles again and Conrad crankily cracked an eye open to find, to his surprise the whole crowd, even the Russian guy, Borris Whatever smiling down at them with Piper still fast asleep and oblivious.

He groaned quietly, "Geez guys, how creepy are you all, watching us sleep like that?" He frowned and gave a gentle tug on his arm.

He sighed when she let go sleepily and then he stood up, gesturing for them to all follow him out of Piper's room and into his.

He sat at his desk with a yawn, not bothing to care that he was still in his suit from the day before or that his hair was sticking up at all angles or even that he had bags beneath his eyes, "What are you all doing here? I thought it was just going to be Myrtle and Daisy and I, what are the rest of you doing here?"

Smitty , who had finally grown out of the pimply stage last year grinned, "Yeah well we decided when we heard that we'd get another chance to see Pipes fly that we'd all come out."

Voilet laughed, "Stop making us seem so selfish and spoiled Smitty, geez, we wanted to see you guys. Piper told us that youd be coming today, we weren't expecting to find you… like that." As Violet had spoken she had grown redder and redder and shorter and shorter.

Conrad sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Guys you realize nothing happened right? We were both fully clothed. She grabbed my arm, I couldn't get away without waking her up. Besides, her parent trust me."

Kimber smiled as she played with a picture on his wall of the group ten years ago at their first annual gathering, "Calm down Con, we know. Its just that we also know how you feel."

With a groan Conrad snatched a picture she had just found in his sock drawer away from her before she could see it, "Why do you all have to mess with my things every time you come here?"

Lily looked devious as she shrugged, "Who knows, maybe because you like to hide things and it makes us curious?"

Conrad rolled his eyes, "Get out everyone, Im gonna change then wake Piper."

He sighed tiredly and leaned back in his spinny-think-chair as Piper liked to call it. He looked at the picture he had confiscated from Kimber before groaning and getting changed, remind him to find a better hiding place.

It wasn't a bad picture but it was all his friends needed to know how he felt about their friend and as long as he could keep them from seeing it the better. It was a picture of Piper, by herself on the roof, looking at him and laughing with the stars framing her.

He took that picture everywhere, depositing it in his room before Betty had called Piper in.

He changed into a pair of jeans and a buttonup shirt that he had quickly learned was the way of dress in these parts. It actually suited him much batter than he had thought ten years ago and it suited him even better now.

He walked into Piper's room, shooting his friends a glare as he did.

"Pipes. Pipes wake up." He shook her gently with his voice even more so and even still she woke violently, lashing out, her eyes flashing open in fear.

She had been waking up like this since I.N.S.A.N.E. unless she woke up on her own. Everyone knew this. Piper carried scars that could both be seem and couldn't. Everyone did, but it was Piper, the always sweet and trusting girl that had been affected the most.

"Whoa there Piper, its me. Its alright. Come on wake up, people are waititng for you to teach them to fly." He spoke calmly and gently as she finally came to her senses.

Finally she nodded, and stood to get changed.

Conrad walked out of the room, "She's changing, she'll be right out."

Piper came stumbling out of her room a few moments later, having apparently only just processed his words about people waiting for her.

When she saw the whole crowd, she rushed them all in a flying tackle. Laughing she hugged them all and smiled, "Did you bring the dragonfly?"

Ahmed (or was it Nalen?) cackled, "Did you hear that brother? The first thing she-"

"-Asks about is the bug. Smooth-"

"-Piper!-"

Piper laughed at the brothers and pushed them playfully, "Shush it, you too, its not everyday I getta teach flying to someone."

"It's a bug."

"Shut up Smitty." Piper didn't have to look to know it was Smitty and Kimber as she heard a *ZIPCH* and then a "Ouch!"

Piper turned to Borris, "Your reasonable right? When do I getta see it?"

Borris smiled slightly, glancing at his girlfriend, Lily who grinned back at him, "If you go outside, you will find it."

She loved his accent.

Piper ran outside and found Jasper already out there, "Jasp!"

Jasper jumped and blushed as he saw her running towards him, "H-Hey P-p-Piper. H-how h-h-have you b-been?"

Piper beamed as she hugged the seventeen year old, the reason she was as she was now, "Ive been fine Jasper, I hear you've been doing great right?"

Jsper grinned, "Y-yeah, I-Ive been d-doing r-r-really w-well actually. G-g-going to b-be g-graduationg n-next y-y-year as a Valedictoian, I j-just h-h-hope they d-don't expect a-a sp-speech haha."

The two laughed, Piper had missed her stuttering friend and loved that he had grown into his stutter. It used to bother him but now he was able to have fun with it.

She turned her attention to the large crate in the yard when a great big *thoomp* was heard from within, "That the bug?"

Jasper nodded, "Can I see it?" again Jasper nodded.

Piper walked over and put her hand on the side of the crate, she could practically feel it humming with the movement inside.

"Hey Kimber? Ya wouldn't happen ta have a dragonfly costume wouldja?" She didn't have to turn to know they had followed her outside and were awaiting her reaction.

"Uh, Not that I can think of but it should be pretty easy to make one if I have the right materials… Why?" Piper smiled, "Cause ive got a plan that just might work."

Nearly seven hours and many pricked fingers later Piper was wearing her new, if somewhat hastily made, dragonfly costume.

Conrad had added a bit of his knowledge to take the shortest routes and to make her wings seem real. As long as she moved, the wings would too.

Finally, they were ready to open the crate. They all watched as Piper stood before the giant five foot bug and as she slowly began to flutter her newfound wings.

Then, without warning, she was flying, flitting around the bug, challenging it to fly.

It watched her as if enchanted and gave a flutter of its wings, testing them. It bounced, as if seeing if it could then it combined the flutters and the boncing, growing excited.

Then, it was flying. Piper was flying again with a partner in the sky. They watched as she laughed and danced with the dragonfly in the sky and they cheered.

They flew for a good while befreo the dragonfly turned and flew away leaving Piper floating. It flew a way and then flew back, encouraging her to follow but Piper smiled sadly and shook her head no.

After trying twice more, the dragonfly flew away. Piper merely floated for a while in midair before finally sinking back.

She merely sstood and stared in the direction the bug had flown as her fiends gathered around her finding her, to their surprise, crying silently.

"Pipes? Piper, whats wrong?" Violet was watching her with wide, concerned eyes, taking her hand in hers.

Piper just laughed, "Nothing. Just… tears of joy is all." Conrad eyed Piper but said nothing.

She was quiet that day, earily so, looking out the window from time to time with a sad look.

She went to bed early that night.


	3. The Sunrise

Piper woke early for once, heading outside while there was still mist on the ground, yet she never left a footprint as her feet never touched the ground.

She flew low, her eyes on the disappearing stars. Those stars never answered her questions but she always looked for them.

"Piper, what's wrong?" She didn't even bother being startled, it was almost natural for Conrad to know something was wrong with her.

"Not much really, just thinking." Conrad frowned from where he sat on the roof.

"About…?"

"Nothin." Piper was watching the stars, sitting on the old fence now as Conrad climbed off the roof.

"You don't do that Piper. You don't just think about nothing, your incapable of that." Conrad strode up to her, frustrated.

Piper sighed and looked at him, "Fine, I was thinkin of flyin."

Conrad frowned, "But why would that make you like this? You love flying!"

Piper opened her mouth to answer before she froze and looked but to the horizon where the faintest hints of light were now coming.

"Do you hear that?" Piper was staring at the horizon with such intensity that had Conrad not known otherwise he'd have set she had set the horizon on fire rather than the sun coming up.

"Hear what?" Just as he said it he heard it, a humming, a familiar humming.

"The dragonfly?" His words were whispers as he spoke, confused.

Piper was flying higher, watching for, and finally seeing the dragonfly.

"It came back." Her words were quiet and Conrad watched as she flew ith incredible speed to the dragonfly.

It met her halfway where they danced in the sky like they had earlier the day before before landing not far from Conrad.

He ran over to see her hugging it and crying, "I thought you weren't gonna come back! I thought I was alone again, you know what it is to be alone up there, by yourself. Its so big and blue and there aint no one to share it with but yourself. But you came back!"

Conrad knew then why Piper had been so quiet all day, she had thought she had lost someone again, Someone she could share the sky with.

First it had been Sabastien, the cricket, then it was _her_ , Dr. Letitia Hellion, and now it was the dragonfly. She was scared of being alone up there alone.

Piper turned to Conrad, "Sorry, Conrad. I just didn't wantcha to worry bout me."

Conrad gave a little smile, "Its fine Pipes, I was going to worry anyways."

He stepped forward to pet the bug, "What are you going to name it?"

Piper laughed, giggled really as she looked at Conrad with sparkling eyes, 'Do ya really wanna hear what just popped inta my head?"

Conrad smiled and nodded, "Shoo."

Conrad laughed, "Shoo? Why shoo!?"

Piper laughed again, wheezing and wiping away tears, "Ya know; Shoo fly don't bother me. Shoo fly don't bother me. Shoo fly don't bother me cuz I belong to somebody. That little kiddy song?"

Conrad stared at her for a while before cracking up hysterically, "Shoo fly?!"

"Hey! I thought it was kinda cute!" Piper frowned at Conrad, embarrassed.

He wheezed, trying to contain his laughter, "Sorry, sorry. And who, my dear Piper McCloud do you belong to?"

Piper blushed, "Well geez, I don't know, I just thought Shoo was a good name for the guy…"

"No its not a good name," Piper sighed disappointedly, "It's a brilliant name!"

Piper's head shot up excitedly, "Can I get that in writin?" They both just laughed as the dragonfly, Shoo, began to flutter its wings.

Piper shot it a calculating look and then at Conrad and then back to Shoo and leaning to whisper something to in.

She seemed to take its fluttering of wings as an answer for she laughed and flew strait up, doing a celebratory backflip before swooping down, grabbing Conrad, lifting him, and depositing him on Shoo's back before he could even form a protest

Then, before he could clamber off, Shoo took off.

Before he knew it, they were flying in the sky with him on the back of a giant dragonfly. Not that he minded of course, he was FLYING!

He finally understood why she loved it so much

He gave a loud, "WHOO HOO" before remembering that her family and friends were still asleep inside.

Piper laughed as she flew around them, the dragonfly going slow enough he wouldn't fall and that Piper could keep an eye on Conrad.

They were laughing, happy when they landed again and all the inhabitants of the house were outside still in their nightclothes.

"Piper! He came back! And Conrad! You were flyin on him!" Kimber cried.

Piper and Conrad shared a glance before laughing and trying to explain without mentioning Pipe's little breakdown and all that came out with a laughter choked, "His name is Shoo."

They spent the morning taking turns flying on Shoo's back, even Jasper took a turn. Piper took a turn simply relaxing on the roof, watching her friends enjoy the experience of flying for a while as the sun was rising when Violet climbed up beside her.

"Hey there Piper." Piper grinned at Violet's quiet voice.

"Hiya there Vi." She turned to see her friend looking at her curiosly, "Do you want to fly Piper?"

Piper's brow rurrowed in a frown, "Huh? Well course I wanna fly… I love flyin."

"Well, no… I was wondering if you wanted to fly… with me." Piper looked at Violet curiously.

"Well last I checked, you couldn't fly too good…" She gave a little smile and Violet laughed.

"No, I meant… Can I fly with you? I can shrink down small enough you wouldn't have to worry about my weight and I get to see what its like for you to fly…" Violet looked nervous as she asked but hopeful all the same.

"Well geez, Vi that sounds fun! I wish everyone could get all small like you." With that Violet grinned wide and shrunk small enough to be placed in Piper's jacket pocket.

"Hold tight." Then, Piper was flying.

Violet finally knew what it was like for Piper, it was she felt when she felt free. It was exhilarating and it was fun and as they got higher and Violet could see the world below, it was breathtaking.

She had never realized what was so special about Bluebell that Piper always wanted to return but now she did. There was a kind of special serenity and beauty about this little town that was so different from the big cities and places Violet had grown used to.

Piper stayed floating in one spot for a moment before carefully taking Violet out of her pocket to stand on her hand, "You see this Vi? This is what I see." Her voice was a whisper as she spoke, unwilling to break the silence and Violet knew why.

The sunset that Piper saw was so much more than any of the rest of them could ever even imagine. It was so vibrant and red and beautiful with streak of gold and there was definalty silver linings everywhere. Violet found herself crying looking at the sunset.

"Its beautiful." Piper smiled and began to slowly spiral back down to the world below, "You think that's pretty, you should see the sunset."

They landed quietly, still in awe of the sunset. Violet kept looking at the view from the ground and could hardly believe it was the same sun even though just earlier she had been stuned by the beauty of the earth view.

Piper set her on the ground to grow and smiled.

She turned to the dragonfly to see that her friends were still flying, too distracted by flying ith the bug to have taken any real notice to the sun and even still Shoo would never have been able to support their weight to get all the way up there to get the perfect view like she and Violet had.

There were some things she had already consoled herself to them never seeing or knowing.

But that was ok. She had Violet who knew now.

Conrad glanced over at the two girls and FOUND Piper staring n their direction so with a smile he waved.

His grin widened when she grinned and waved back happily, he had been right in urging Violet to ask Piper to take her flying, he knew that if there was any thing that Piper wanted to share with them, it was flying and he knew now that she had.

That was all he needed to know his job was done, her grin.


End file.
